“Kekeke!” one of Throm’s companions, a middle aged woman, snickered. “How could you try to bully some random kids?”

Throm’s cheeks flushed. “Random kids? Apparently they fought in the tournament.”

“So they say, but I don’t listen to every bird which cheeps so eagerly at me,” a devilkin chuckled.

“Those kids, who are they?” Throm pondered.

“Just some kids,” the woman replied, waving her hand dismissively. “Why do you need to worry about those children?”

“That guy is Purple Adam.”

“He was in the tournament wasn’t he?”

“He beat Vasera.”

“Vasera?”

“Golden Savage,” the Aswadian said, his eyes falling onto Adam from his seat. “That girl beside him, she is Kitool, yes?”

“Apparently so,” Throm added. “He said his brother was the Iyrman who placed first.”

“Do you believe every bird which cheeps?”

“The Iyrman beside him didn’t correct him.”

The Aswadian hummed quietly. “That priest beside him, the handsome man, he is Aswadian. He is from the Order of Black Mountain.”

“What is a group like that doing together?” Throm asked, his eyes falling onto the group again.

“There is strength in numbers.”

“No. There’s something else. They say they work for an enchanter.”

“An enchanter?” The woman’s eyes fell onto the party, noting some of them glanced their way. She smiled, raising her cup towards them, before sipping her milk.

“There is only so much big talk they can say,” the Aswadian said, chuckling lightly.

“That boy wanted to bet a thousand gold to fight,” Throm said. “He didn’t know who I was, but he saw I was Silver Rank. He’s only Steel Rank, but he’s got the eyes of a beast.”

“You’re thinking too much, Throm,” the woman said, patting his shoulder gently. “Just drink and eat.”

‘Did they really kill hydras?’ Throm thought, his eyes glued to Adam.

“So we can’t let them bathe here?” Adam asked. “Seriously?”

“The guild is for adventurers, and sometimes their families, not for the business,” Dunes said.

“So I guess we gotta go to the river then?”

“It’s best,” Dunes admitted.

‘It’s not like I can make a little bathhouse near the river for them,’ Adam thought. ‘Unless…’

“What are you thinking about so deeply now?”

“Can we grab ourselves a wooden basin?” Adam asked. “Just a few, to fill them up using the river.”

“What are you planning?”

“We could fill up the basins and then warm the water up, allowing them to bathe, before pouring the water back into the river.”

Dunes waited for a moment, before inhaling deeply, letting out a soft sigh. He exchanged a look with Amira, whose eyes returned a doubtful look. “Why don’t you just take them to another inn and allow them to bathe there.”

“This is why you’re a Manager, Dunes,” Adam said, flushing red slightly. “The inns might not allow the kids inside since they’re so dirty.”

“Take enough gems with you and they’ll allow you to take them through the back,” Dunes said.

“Yeah, right…” Adam rubbed the side of his neck. “Alright. Why don’t we grab them some clothes for them to change into after too? Any chance I can leave that to you?”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Dunes nodded. “Which inn are you making your way to?”

Adam looked to Vonda, the one who apparently was from this city.

“We should find the inn first, for they may refuse us entry even with enough gold,” Vonda said. “I will go find some clothing for the children once they are at the inn.”

“That’s why you’re a Manager, Sister Vonda,” Adam said.

“You’re strong?” a child asked Nobby.

“No,” Nobby replied.

The child frowned.

“Did you win the tournament last year,” Cobra asked, her eyes taking in the sight of the almost bull of a man by the name Nobby.

“Yes.”

“That makes you strong.”

“No,” Nobby replied. “I am not strong.”

“Don’t mind Nobby,” Fred said, patting the young man’s back. “We’re just in shock from the reality of the world, that’s all.”

Cobra raised her brow.

“You might not have seen it yet, but the Executives, they’re all ridiculously powerful.”

“I’ve seen Adam fight,” Cobra said, her eyes moving towards the half elf who was being bullied by his companions. “He defeated both of my sisters at the same time.”

“You haven’t seen Adam fight yet,” Fred said, leaning back in his chair. “You don’t have any fear in your eyes.”

“You fear him?”

“I’m not sure if it’s fear, but there’s a least a little bit of fear in me,” Fred admitted. “I’m just a farmer turned adventurer, I’m not like the others. They’re members of orders, Iyrmen, that sort of thing. Me? I’m just a boy with no home, a boy whose been travelling with the group for some time, and a boy whose seen more nightmares in the world than in my sleep.”

“…” Cobra could see the look in Fred’s eye, one which revealed that the young man had realised his place as an ant in the world.

“This group is filled with monsters,” Brittany said. “We’re monsters to some people too, but they don’t know the things we’ve seen.”

“What have you seen?”

Brittany pulled back slightly, her eyes falling to Kitool and Adam, before they met Fred’s eyes, the young man giving her a particular look. “Monsters.”

“Monsters?”

“We’ve come across hydras, but hydras aren’t as scary as the monsters we’ve seen,” she whispered, crossing her arms and pulling back into her chair.

“Weak,” Nobby confirmed.

“Alright,” Adam said, stepping towards Cobra. “We’re going to be heading out to another inn. We’ll load the children onto the cart and take them to another inn to wash up and eat. Sister Vonda will head out with a couple of others to buy some new clothes for the children.”

“Jurot has taken the wolves and the horses,” Dunes said.

“Oh.”

“…” Cobra blinked towards Adam.

“I could send word and ask if I can resummon it here.”

“I could request another carriage,” Vonda said.

Adam inhaled deeply, the annoyance of the situation filling him again. ‘Damn it.’

“I will deal with it,” Vonda assured, bowing her head lightly, before leaving to find a carriage.

“Jonn, escort Manager Vonda,” Adam called, causing the young half elf, who wore a breast plate, to follow the priest.

“Why are you going this far?” Cobra asked.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re spending so much coin on taking them to clean up and eat and we haven’t even said yes.”

“I’m pretending as though you’ve said yes already to show you how you’ll be treated going forward.”

“You haven’t asked our opinion.”

“I assumed you’d be fine with making sure your siblings are fed and cleaned, or are you fine with them being susceptible to being diseased?” Adam asked, his tone light and playful.

Cobra narrowed her eyes lightly.

“Nobby, Brittany, you two will be coming along too,” Adam said. “I want you to assist in escorting the children.”

“Should I come too?” Fred asked.

“If you’d like to come along, I won’t stop you,” Adam replied. “Actually, why don’t we have Charlie and Greg come along too, you both look pretty tough. Let’s make sure no one starts bother with us as we’ve got the children with us. We’re considering the children and their older siblings as VIPs.”

“Vee eye pees?” Dunes asked.

“Very important persons, or people if you prefer,” Adam replied.

“So how are we meant to treat them?”

“You should treat them as if…” Adam paused for a moment. “We will essentially treat them as if they’re my children. If anyone wants to take a single hair on their heads, they’d better be prepared to risk their lives.”

Dunes raised his brows, his eyes holding a question, though he knew better to ask right in front of those they were escorting. ‘Why are you going so far?’

Adam smiled, before glancing towards Cobra. “You should understand that the United Kindom is very serious in it’s business.”

“…” Cobra wasn’t sure what Adam was doing. He was spending so much coin on them. No, if he knew what Alex was, then surely this all made sense.

“Right, make sure you all bring your weapons with you. You probably shouldn’t put on your armour, since that’s a little too much, but don’t leave without your weapons. Brittany, don’t bring along your bow, just your blades.”

“Okay,” the young woman replied, leaving to her room to grab her blades.

“Nobby,” Adam said, placing a hand on the young man’s shoulder. “Remember, you’re my number one enforcer, so I’m going to leave this special task to you. I want you to watch over Alex personally.”

“Okay.”

‘So he does know…’ Cobra thought.

“Would you like for us to assist?” Korin asked, the young man wearing his breastplate.

“Hmmm,” Adam thought, his eyes glancing across the four Aswadians. They were each members of an order, and three of them were well versed with magic, with half being men and the other half women. Then there was Sara’s status as a noble, which could be useful if something happened. “It might be a good idea to bring you all along too. We should leave a message for Jaygak for when she’s back that we’re gone.”

Cobra eyed up the group which was apparently escorting them.

Dunes, a priest, Korin, a guardian, Amira, a warrior, Sara, who seemed to be a noble from Aswadia, each apparently from an order. Then there was the Iyrman and Adam, who was apparently a brother to an Iyrman, the pair having placed in the tournament. Then there were the Aldishment, Brittany, Fred, Jonn, Nobby, who had placed first in the tournament, and Vonda, a priest from the Order of Life’s Rose.

What she didn’t know was that at least each of them were considered Experts in the land, while several of them could punch above their weight.

‘He definitely knows.’